Heated debate expected on fire ban

A proposal to ban wood fires on smoggy winter nights begins its final round of public hearings today amid burning criticism from wood-stove users and merchants.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District regulation, first seen as a draft in November, would ban wood burning in any device when air quality is poor in the winter.

In the past, the agency has urged people to forgo wood burning on a voluntary basis.

Violators could be fined an undetermined amount if the regulation is adopted, empowering the regional agency to call mandatory no-burn nights.

There is an exception for homes with no other source of heat. Owners and sellers of stoves certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency say they should be exempt, too.

"I would have to burn 50 of my stoves to equal what comes out of one fireplace," said Larry Williams of Forestville, who has an EPA-certified stove.

"If somebody came to my door in the dead of winter and told me to turn off my stove, I would close the door on them," he said. "They wouldn't get a warm reception."

A public hearing on the proposed regulation is scheduled today in Santa Rosa, followed by hearings elsewhere in the Bay Area through the end of the month.

The proposed ban is expected to go to the air district board for a vote in July, said agency spokeswoman Karen Schkolnick.

The district stretches from San Jose north to Windsor.

District officials say there could be about 20 nights a year when burning is prohibited because of weather conditions.

Smoke from household fires contributes to poor air quality when cold, still and low-lying winter air layers trap particulate matter. Wood smoke accounts for 30 percent to 40 percent of all air pollution during the winter, a greater contribution than vehicle emissions, according to the air district.

Supporters of the ban say wood smoke contributes to respiratory problems.

"We get the calls all the time from people who say the smoke is coming into their yard and home from their neighbors," said Jenny Bard, the American Lung Association's associate director of communications and advocacy in Santa Rosa. "People should be able to breathe healthy air in their homes."

Stove merchants say the district is overlooking the efficiency of EPA-certified stoves.

"People make significant financial investments in clean-burning stoves and then are lumped in with people burning fireplaces," said Ron Christy, general manager of Warming Trends, a wood stove shop in Santa Rosa.

The proposed regulation does not cover gas-fueled fireplaces and logs, gas inserts or electric fireplaces.

If it is adopted, warnings will be issued followed by citations and possible fines. Repeat offenders will receive a citation in the mail and fines based on the number of times they have not complied, Schkolnick said.

The agency currently notifies the news media of Spare the Air nights, posts notices on its Web site and urges people to sign up for e-mail or cell phone notices when Spare the Air days or nights are declared.

In response to public comments that these measures were not enough, the agency is seeking other methods of notifying the public.

Williams, the Forestville stove owner, said he wasn't aware of the seven voluntary Spare the Air notices issued between Nov. 1 and Feb. 28.

Al Kruger of Rincon Valley, who has an EPA-certified stove, complied with Spare the Air requests last winter.

"I followed their recommendations and had to use the regular house furnace," he said. "It was a problem. In the evening we like to have a fire and be able to see it. It's quite pleasant."

You can reach Staff Writer Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat.com.